HELEN, Ga. (AP) — A national land trust says a key piece of property near the headwaters of the Chattahoochee River will become part of the Chattahoochee National Forest, giving the public more access to the water and surrounding woods.

The Trust for Public Land said Monday that the land, north of Helen in the north Georgia mountains, includes more than 500 feet along the Chattahoochee’s west bank, and will now be available for boaters to access the river in an area that’s popular for trout fishing.

The trust says protecting the land is also important in efforts to preserve water quality in the river’s headwaters region. The Chattahoochee supplies drinking water to communities downstream, including metro Atlanta.

The trust sold the land to the U.S. Forest Service after purchasing it for $250,000 in 2010.

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